At the time where people were having tea and biscuits, gossiping about what had transpired today and the days before, an elderly man with a cane was strolling through the streets of London, alone.

Today was a special day for him. He was going to London's largest underground auction to purchase 'wine', and other items that might catch his eyes. But before that, he had plenty of time to unwind and enjoy himself.

As he was walking steadily on the firm ground, lost in thought, a gentle wind passed by him, carrying a flowery and nutty aroma. Wondering where that aroma came from, he traced the source of it and saw a café shop situated on the left side, across the road.

He paused for a second, then glanced briefly to his left and right before crossing and entering the café.

'It would be a lie if I said I don't like coffee,' the old man thought as he opened the door.

Upon entering the café, he looked at the counter and saw a middle-aged man who gave the impression to be the owner or manager of this café, and a young girl he presumed to be his assistant.

The man was instructing the girl, helping her establish some skill in the craft of latte art. The girl's eyes burned with passion as she listened to him.


When the middle-aged man finished what he was doing, which only took about five seconds, he looked at the door and saw an old man standing straight wearing black shoes, black pants, a white shirt with a black vest over it, a long black coat with golden linings intertwined on the shoulders and white buttons on the cuffs, a black top hat with a brown hat band, and a well-crafted cane that had on the top a silver bat with closed wings. Where its eyes were supposed to be, were a pair of small red jewels.

'What a refined gentleman,' the middle-aged man remarked internally as his brow raised a bit. Giving the old man a simple 'welcome,' he returned to what he was occupied with.

The old man replied with the same attitude. He retracted his eyes from the counter and took in the interior design of the café.

It was not too small or too big; four elephants could fit in it in a chain formation. The atmosphere was serene, making you feel at peace. He liked it and decided to spend the rest of his time here before the auction began.


Excluding himself and the duo who were running the place, he saw a couple who were sharing a dessert and a milkshake drink. Their eyes glanced at each other every now and then.

There was also a student whose face grimaced as he took a gulp from a glass of orange juice that was next to him. Varieties of books were sprawled in front of his table.


The last person was a suited man with rimless glasses. He bore a relaxed posture as he worked on a grey laptop, occasionally taking a sip of the coffee beside him.


Walking past them, the old man sat on the left-back side of the café, next to a window where he could see everything clearly and admire the scenery. He placed his cane next to him and his hat on the table. His hair was grey and short.


Just on cue, a melodious piano sound started playing. His eyes momentarily became lost in thought as he recognised the song.


'…Alas, everything has its order, and mine is about to end,' thought the elderly man as he listened to the piano.

However, his reminiscence was cut short as he heard footsteps approaching him. It was the young girl behind the counter.


"Hello sir, welcome to our Solitary café. What would you like to have?" The young girl asked politely.

"Well hello there. An interesting name for a café if I say so myself. Does the name correlate with the ambience of this place? If so, I like it and think it's a suitable name." The old man replied to her question with words of compliment as he smiled gently at her.


"Haha, thank you, sir. Most of the people that come here don't seem to understand the nature of our café. But you, on the other hand, appear to have caught on. Mind if I ask for your name?" The girl trailed off in her words before she added in a hurry, "Oh, how rude of me to not introduce myself first. My name is Emily!" Emily spoke as her lips naturally morphed into a smile. Her ponytail, swinging from left to right.

The old man struck her as someone looking for a conversational partner, and she wasn't one to leave him hanging.

'What a friendly girl,' thought the old man with a smile.

"My name is Allister, but you can address me as Mr. Allister. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Emily." Presented Allister.

To which Emily replied, "The feeling is mutual."


Recalling the reason why Emily was here, Allister ordered a cup of black coffee and nothing else, as he didn't have the appetite to eat presently.

Seeing that Mr. Allister wasn't asking for anything else, Emily went back to the counter and started to prepare a cup of black coffee for him.

***


Allister exited the Solitary Café as the biting wind of the evening crept into his clothes. He had spent most of his time chatting with Andrew, Emily's father.

Unlike his daughter, who was energetic, Andrew was an easy-going man. He was also knowledgeable, like Allister. After all, both gentlemen were a testament to countless winters and had their fair share of obstacles. Anyway, this similarity empowered their conversation, as they both got along well.

Andrew's wife had passed away a few years ago, which caused him to work harder than ever for his growing daughter, who dreamed of becoming a famous bartender. When Allister realized this, his opinion of the man changed instantly, making him much more admirable and endearing.

'He made me think of those oldies back home. Sadly, our time was short—in our terms. And with every meeting, parting is also inevitable,' recounted Allister as he took one last look at Andrew's fruit of labour.

He then walked away, forging ahead to the auction.


***

What he beheld when he arrived was a beautiful and large manor.

The manor's perimeters were full of well-maintained flowers and bushes. There was a wonderful mermaid fountain that was designed circularly in front of it, making the vehicles go around it as they praised the sculptures and engineers works of art, before parking where they were supposed to.

Walking on the flexible pavement with his cane, Allister went inside the manor, and one of the guards asked for his invitation. Allister showed it to him and was escorted to the auction hall.

As he entered it, Allister's eyes widened. The hall was huge—more than he expected. It had exquisite and refined decorations, seats for the guests that spanned a distance, and a grand stage where the auctioneer would present the items for auctioning.

One of the workers guided Allister to his seat, which was a pair of chairs and a round table. He placed his cane beside his chair and sat down. The material the chair was made of was lavish and cushy, which caused him to quickly relax as a sense of calm and relaxation washed over him.

A waiter who was roving around the area serving refreshments to the guests noticed Allister and approached him. Allister focused his attention on the waiter.

"Greetings sir. Would you be in need of a drink?"


"Hm, what do you have?" Allister asked as he scanned the drinks on the tray carried by the waiter.


"We have a mixed beverage of an apple and some grapes with mint leaves, a Gimlet cocktail, and other refreshment drinks. If I were to be bold as to recommend one for you, the first option is good for occasions like this, and its taste is sweet and spicy, reminding people of wine due to the ingredients that constitute it—but of course, without being intoxicated by it." suggested the waiter.

Allister paused for a moment before selecting the recommended beverage. He then thanked the waiter, who bowed faintly and left to serve another guest.

Allister took a sip of the drink, which resembled blood, and savoured the sweet yet spicy taste brought on by the fusion of fruits with the mint leaves.

'Delicious!' exclaimed Allister internally.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and muffled footsteps could be heard within the grand hall.

The lights were turned back on, however, someone was standing on the grand stage this time.

'Finally, it's starting,' Allister thought as he relaxed his posture.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our auction—House of Ichor! Today, we have a lot to auction in this venerable house. Historical artefacts for those interested in the ancient wonders or for researchers who want to take a glimpse into the past. Beautiful jewels and accessories for your lovely partners, as well as a variety of other items one can never get enough of due to their artistic value, and our main item for the evening." The auctioneer kicked off the auction in a gaily yet compelling tone.

With that, the bidding war began.

***

"Hahaha, those old fogeys didn't bid on anything, hoping I'd run out of money. How could they have known I've been accumulating wealth for over a thousand years? I've already forgotten the total amount I have amassed!" Allister said as he laughed hysterically.

Looking back to when he almost bought everything in the auction, the guests' eyes that failed to mask their anger, contrasted by the auctioneer's eyes that showed only avarice, were quite amusing for Allister.

He was standing in front of the beautiful fountain. The auction had ended a minute ago, and he bolted out of the place as quickly as he could, and that in itself only took half a minute.

Allister took in the sight of the manor one last moment before going off to his destination.

He first walked slowly as if he were strolling; however, as soon as he was out of the manor's vicinity, he quickened his steps and walked through an alley.

Not a minute passed before numerous bats went out of the other side of the alley, circling the area for a while, then disappearing as quickly as they came.

***

Deep in a forest infested with gloomy clouds, there was a dark castle. It was built with such finesse that if anybody were to see it, only astonishment and greed would reflect their countenance.

The design of the castle was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. It had four sturdy, high walls, each of which had an arrow-shaped peak. As for the main door, it was constructed of a beautiful alloy of gold and platinum. The entirety of the castle exuded wealth and power!


Inside, everything was gilded. Decorated with precious materials that gave the whole space a sense of elegance and grace.

In one of the rooms—the bathroom, to be specific—was an elderly man. This man was none other than Allister. He just finished taking a shower and was brushing his teeth in front of a sturdy bathroom sink with an enticing mirror.

After finishing brushing, he drank some water and rinsed his mouth. He then opened the tap and washed his face before closing it. As he raised his head to look at the mirror, an ordinary face was reflected on it, which, in a split second, transformed into a handsome and elegant visage.

A broad forehead, straight eyebrows, deep-set eyes with vibrant red colour, an upturned nose with natural lips, and low cheekbones. The wrinkles on his skin denoted an evident seniority that somehow did not take away from his charm.

Allister murmured absentmindedly, "At last, the time has arrived for me."

Being in top shape was essential since he was leaving this planet today; otherwise, his friends would have the laugh of their lives when they saw his unsightly sight. He chuckled as he thought of that occurring.

Leaving the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, Allister walked down the long corridor of his castle, heading to his bedroom.

A minute or so later, he was in his room, changing. He wore black leather shoes, black pants, a white shirt, and a black suit jacket that had silver and gold linings intertwined on the shoulder with red buttons on the cuffs and a white handkerchief on his top left pocket.

Spraying here and there with perfume, Allister was as ready as he could be. He grabbed his cane and the items he brought from the auction and headed to his study room.

Upon arriving there, he took in the sight of this simple yet efficient room that had a chandelier, a carpet, bookshelves, a desk, and a chair. He walked to his dark brown desk, which had a plain design compared to everything outside that had precious materials adorned on them.

He went around it, dragging his fingers on the smooth surface along the way. He then put his cane in the cane holder and sat down on the chair.

Allister opened the drawers that were on his left side, pulling out neat blank papers. He grabbed a fountain pen that was placed next to him. The pen was black and red. He dipped it in ink and started writing his will and farewells.


After he finished writing them, he brought out the items from the auction and placed them all on the desk, with letters attached to each and every one of them.

While picking up the last item and a goblet he brought out of nowhere, he rotated his chair to face the window.

'Mhm?' He faced his desk again and pulled out the right drawer this time. Inside was a necklace, and attached to it was a small white cube. It was his family's heirloom that had been passed on from the first generation to the current one.

He never understood the significance behind this necklace, but the first generation's patriarch treasured it dearly. The necklace was even placed next to him when he passed away.

As such, every generation adopted this tradition and placed it next to them whenever they wanted to bid farewell to life.

Allister was about to do the same, but by wearing it. Perhaps it would result in a new tradition after his passing that would make all his successors wear it on their death beds too.

He gently raised it above his head and wore it.


He then picked up the goblet from earlier and the last main item of the auction that was stored in a bottle.

The humans thought it was wine, however, it was the blood of a powerful vampire that had lived thousands of years. Apparently, that individual died a century ago. But he left a jar full of his blood for one of his friends before he passed.

Allister once again rotated his chair to face the window. Opening the bottle, he poured it into the goblet and started to drink it. Once he finished that, he poured again and again, with no sign of stopping, until he finished the whole bottle.


As he admired the gloomy atmosphere, Allister started to speak himself, but was in fact sending a message to his coven through his blood, which binds them to him.


"Soon I will depart from this world," said Allister. "I might not have much to say, but all of you have my utmost gratitude for serving me, century after century," he continued as the receiving end of this speech started to tremble all of a sudden. "That is why I say this with a heart full of sincerity.

"It was good to have you all as my servants. And I'm proud of everyone who stood beside me in my harsh and peaceful times. Just don't cause trouble when I'm gone, brats. Hahaha." Allister's coven were on their knees when they heard that final part. Their eyes, red and puffy, and their shoulders quaked as droplets of water fell in front of them.

Cutting the communication off with a heavy heart, Allister raised his right index finger, where the nail grew sharper and longer. He then used it to slice his neck a bit, just to show some blood as a symbolic sign.

Coming to a pause, Allister thought, 'What a bland life it was; at least I had people who I could joke with, making my life have some colour in it.'

His mind drifted for a moment, but he pulled himself back and uttered weakly, "Goodbye my brethren."

Finally cutting off his life source. Allister became limp shortly after. Chest at rest and eyes veiled—for eternity.

***

An hour later, a swarm of bats began to circle the castle in a ring formation. They covered the sky like clouds cover the blazing sun. They were Allister's siblings, relatives, friends, and servants.

All of them in agony and grief, silently mourning for one that was beloved to them... Allister Dunkan.