Early in the morning -
Dian woke up from a deep slumber with tear stains on her cheeks. The memory of what had to be forgotten had resurfaced once more in her dreams.
But although she had an unpleasant dream, her body was full of vigour and energy. She felt light as a feather and she could feel no pain from her supposed to be aching body. It used to be a nightmare waking up every morning after a beating but surprisingly, today she felt like she had the best sleep she had in years.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Dian felt someone behind her, after turning around she saw Arthur peacefully sleeping in the same bed as her.
She was about to get up from the sudden realisation that she slept in the same bed as Arthur but then memories of what happened last night rushed to her head.
Arthur's maniac expression and his terrifying eyes made Dian stumble back. She touched her neck but felt no wound. She felt something wet on her palm and thought it was blood but it turned out to be just cold sweat. She then looked at her body, she was clothed and she had bandages all over.
'Was everything a dream?'
The whole situation dumbfounded her but most importantly it made her feel like she's crazy.
"W-what happened?" She uttered.
"I'll tell you about it later." Arthur suddenly spoke, making Dian jump like a scared cat.
"Master- last night.. You- blood.." Dian clutched her head, trying to comprehend if everything she remembered actually happened or if it was just a dream. Arthur got up himself and sat on the bed. He was feeling weak because of the strain and fatigue his body was exposed to last night. He barely got any sleep…
"Don't worry, you are not dreaming. Everything you remembered happened." Arthur looked at Dian calmly. "For now, wash yourself and prepare breakfast. I'm hungry."
Dian didn't feel right that Arthur was acting like nothing happened, but she still did as she was told. Arthur sighed and smiled while looking at her cute maid. "I'll tell you later once all the pests are gone." Arthur said and as if on que, Dian heard numerous footsteps coming towards them.
*Bam!*
The door opened abruptly and the same woman who came to visit Arthur in the hospital made her appearance once more. Carla's hazel snake eyes looked at Arthur and Dian with judgement. "Sleeping with a maid? Seriously? Hahaha!"
Arthur kept quiet and signalled Dian to leave the room. Dian immediately left but not before looking straight into Arthur's eyes. He knew what it meant so he nodded as acknowledgement.
Carla was oblivious to the short exchange because she was too focused in the messy room. "The hell happened to this place?" she asked as she observed the scratch marks on the walls and floor.
'Is he mentally ill?' Carla wondered.
"Well whatever… get to work so we could get this over with."
Men with equipment immediately went inside the room and installed a security camera. They didn't care that Arthur was still in bed and just did their work.
Carla also ignored Arthur and just stared out the window wishing the instalment to be finished immediately. She was directly ordered by the current Head to oversee this procedure so she couldn't ditch this no matter what. 'Why the hell is he so fixated on this waste?' This level of attention is not normal for someone who failed to awaken and had become a disgrace to the family.
…
It didn't take long for the camera to be fixed and tested. As soon as it was done, Carla immediately went on her way but not before giving the personnel keeping watch on Arthur a stern warning. They must not let that incident happen again.
Dian went inside with breakfast shortly after. Her movements were a bit awkward. She tried to hide it but Artur noticed it. 'She probably discovered how powerful her body is.' Arthur thought and in the end he signaled her to just stand beside him. Dian did as she was told and stood quietly knowing that it was not the right time to ask questions and expose their true self.
"Fuck! How dare they treat me like this!! Arthur lashed out and threw a bread toward the camera. Obviously, it didn't hit nor even reach. *cough *cough*
"Master, please calm down and watch your temper."
Dian handed Arthur water and assisted him to drink. Unfortunately, Dian applied too much force in the glass, and it cracked. Arthur immediately grabbed the glass and threw it on the floor causing it to break in pieces. "How can I calm down? They're treating me like an animal!' he bellowed.
Dian was caught off guard but managed to follow up. She leaned closely to Arthur as she wiped the residue water on his chin.
"Remain calm and relax your muscles. Do things slowly. Tonight, I'll show you the truth." Arthur whispered to her.
Dian didn't reply and just played the part of a maid. She kept every word Arthur said in mind and tried her best to remain calm as she cleaned the glass on the floor.
She honestly doesn't know what's happening or know what is true and what is not. But if there was something she believed in then it was Arthur. The young man that's been looking for a chance to rise once more. He had been looking for a chance all this time, researching for a cure to escape the Mortal fate. Dian believed Arthur wouldn't do things without a reason. Perhaps all of the things that were happening right now was something he had expected, 'Maybe that's why he's so calm' she thought.
Dian also felt like Arthur had changed somehow, perhaps it's all connected. And her strength… it came out of nowhere. Not to mention her wounds were mysteriously healed overnight.
After breakfast Arthur slept once more… but not before he secretly ordered Dian to try to control her strength while she does daily chores. It wasn't easy but she managed by only doing menial tasks. The personnel keeping watch attributed her awkward movement to the bandages she had all over her. 'She probably can't move properly because of the beating' they all thought.
The day went on like usual, Dian kept the house clean while Arthur stayed in bed. He looked weak and haggard but unbeknownst to all, he was recovering as much power as he could. He was silently meditating and carefully wielding just the right amount of Aera to circulate in his body to avoid being detected.
Arthur bid his time, he remained patient throughout the day. 'Soon this household will fall under new management'
For tonight, he will begin his take over…
…
[Seven o'clock in the evening, in the surveillance room]
All the guards and security team that had been keeping watch on Arthur had fallen into lax mode. Their guards were down, expecting nothing to happen. Five people in the surveillance room were doing their usual routine. Two men watched a single screen that showed a sleeping boy on the bed and his maid that's staying beside him. There were other screens but this particular one was the screen they had to focus on.
*Yaawn*
"I'm bored…" said a soldier in a dark outfit as he lay on a couch. "The job is easy but it's so boring." He was newly added personnel named Colt that will watch over Arthur. He was a medic that was tasked to administer first aid as fast as possible and keep Arthur alive. He was also tasked to give Arthur a daily checkup to ensure his health doesn't worsen.
"How long have you been stationed here?" Said by another as he drank a cup of coffee. His name is Josh.
"About 18 hours now."
"Tsk! You've only been here for that long and you're already complaining about boredom?"
"Shut up."
"Knock it off you two." Said by another man with a military hat. He's built like a tank and was the youngest of all the guards stationed in the manor but after hearing him speak, the bickering duo shut their trap. After all, the man who carried the most authority and power was this man. The captain of this surveillance squad, George, sat on a chair playing cards with a brown-haired woman in white tank top.
"Just focus on the job, newbie." said the woman as she took a card from the deck on the table. Thera, the second in command.
Not wanting to be scolded again, Colt shut his mouth.
A few minutes later…
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, there was movement…
The boy they were watching suddenly woke up and got up with difficulty. "Open the window, it's too stifling and hot." The boy ordered. There were mics included on the camera so listening to a normal conversation wasn't that hard.
Without any question the maid opened the window and assisted her master to sit closely next to it.
From the security's perspective, Arthur was just catching some fresh air after lying in bed all day.
But in truth Arthur was doing more than just enjoying the night breeze, he was whispering. He was clicking his tongue in a way that no man would be able to hear and even if they did, they wouldn't understand. His actions were so subtle and quiet that not even Dian noticed it. But there was one exception, a peculiar creature that lies awake at night.
"Is this alright? His constitution is below average. What if he catches a cold and collapses again?" Derek asked. He was on surveillance duty along with Josh.
"That's possible." Colt said then looked at the Captain. After receiving a nod, Colt stood and pressed a red button and proceeded to speak. His voice was heard by the boy and the maid via the security camera.
"Close the window this instance."
The maid looked at the camera, but the young man didn't seem to hear anything.
The maid just looked at her Master and didn't take any action.
"No need to be polite." Said the Captain.
"Hey! I said close the fucking window!" Colt repeated, clearly annoyed by the lack of attention.
And of course, once more, he was ignored. The young man's back was facing them so they couldn't see his face.
The medic looked at his superior. The Captain sighed while the others found the situation funny. "What a stubborn brat"
"Go and close it yourself and check his condition while you're at it. Don't be too rough though. You know the consequence." Captain ordered followed by a stern warning.
Colt wanted to complain but, in the end, held it in. It was his job after all. 'Fuck! I knew it would come to this. It's so bothersome to walk all the way there.'
After Colt went out, Josh asked the leader. "Where did that guy come from? He seems lazy."
"He's from a wealthy family and was sponsored heavily. He had a rare ability that's why the Family took him in."
"That explains his attitude, he's a rich asshole."
…
'Fucking bastards.' Colt cursed everyone in his mind while walking through a wooded path. Their base was a shed with a few underground rooms a few meters away from the manor so it wouldn't take long before he reached his destination.
There used to be fifteen personnel keeping watch on Arthur. Two guards the entrance and two more patrol the area during the day then two more pairs replace them for the next shift. The rest were positioned inside the surveillance room also in a shifting schedule. Now, there was another one added making it sixteen personnel. Currently, there are only nine personnel monitoring Arthur. The rest were sent on a mission to retrieve a device that would stabilize Arthur if he ever reached a point of no return.
*Swoosh!*
*kiee *kiee *kiee
"What the- where did all these bats come from?" A swarm of bats flew overhead Colt which caught him off guard.
The bats quickly disappeared into the trees, but their cries could still be heard. Colt didn't pay much attention to these nocturnal animals and continued on his way while cursing everything in his mind.
…
The guards at the entrance of the manor were doing their jobs as usual, guarding and keeping watch.
*kiee *kiee *kiee
"There's an awful lot of vermin tonight." Said one of the guards named Daniel.
"Are they mating?" asked by the other named John.
"I'm not sure. I don't think that there was a nest near this area. Perhaps they're just passing through. These bats should be gone tomorrow."
…
Two patrol guards who were on the night shift met at the back of the manor-
"Yo!" greeted by a soldier in a casual manner. Nick seemed to be in his late twenties and looked like a diligent young man with his glasses.
"You're in a good mood tonight." replied by a soldier with grey hair. Roger seems to be in his sixties.
"Well, I've been getting it on with someone out of my league, if you know what I mean." Nick replied.
"I know what you mean you punk. You think I was born yesterday?"
"Hahaha hold your temper old ma- " *kiee *kiee *kiee
"What the-" Nick was cut mid-sentence with the screeches of the flying mammals. A swarm of bats flew right by them.
Roger's eyes flashed with thoughtfulness. "Hmm, something ain't right."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't explain it, but my gut is telling me that something just ain't right. I rarely feel this and whenever I do, something bad happens. Let's get back to patrolling. Report to the Captain if something happens. Peel your eyes open and be careful."
"A-alright! You be careful too." The sudden seriousness that came from the veteran Roger made Nick slightly worried but after remembering where they were he thought the old man was just overthinking things.
"Hmm." Roger nodded.
After the exchange the two separated and surveyed their designated area.
…
[In the master's bedroom of the manor]
Arthur's eyes shone in bright red as the sclera turned pitch black along with red veins popping around his eyes.
Dian couldn't see Arthur's eyes right now since she was at the back. But if she could, no matter how cold her personality might be, she wouldn't be able to keep her composure.
Arthur turned partially into a Vampire Progenitor to communicate with the bats from miles away. Arthur clicked his tongue in a rhythmic pattern that sent signals in the form of a ripple. As the signal travels further and further, its scope becomes wider and wider. Arthur added Demonic power to amplify his call, making it more potent. All the bats that managed to hear his call were hypnotized.
The bats who heard the summon relayed the message to more of its kind causing a second wave of signal to spread. The call continued until a hundred bats gathered slowly towards the manor. Fifty bats gathered around the building Arthur was in while the rest grouped up above hidden in the clouds still increasing in number, ready to be summoned anytime.
"It's time." Arthur said in a volume that only Dian would hear then stood up from the chair he was sitting on.
Dian was greatly puzzled and was about to approach Arthur when out of nowhere, a bat the size of a full-grown cat flew in through the window with great speed.
It flew around the room for a moment then suddenly did a nosedive toward Arthur. Dian immediately made her move, but another bat flew in and distracted her. As if on steroids the bat that got in her way was powerful beyond normal. It's because Arthur juiced up the flying creature with demonic power as it passed by him. After all, no ordinary bat would be able to stop Dian right now.
The other bat bit Arthur on the neck violently, he stumbled down on the floor trying his best to separate the flying mammal that munched on his flesh. There was chaos in the room, but it didn't last long, and the two bats flew out right after leaving Arthur bleeding none stop on the floor.
Dian immediately rushed toward and tended to Arthur, she cradled him worried and in panic.
"Master!"
Arthur subtly whispered something in her ear, causing her to shake slightly.
She looked at the camera and screamed for help looking really pitiful on the screen.
…
Back at the surveillance room-
"Fuck! Thera, grab a serum and come with me!" said the Captain as he stormed out of the room. He then contacted Colt. "Newbie where are you?! The brat was bitten by a bat! Make haste immediately!"
"Roger, Daniel, go inside the manor and tend to the boy! A bat flew in and bit him! HURRY!" The leader commanded the patrolman and guard.
"Captain, should we report this to Madam?" Asked by Josh who remained in the surveillance room with Derek.
"Are you out of your goddamn mind!? You want our heads to roll?!" Captain George bellowed. 'These idiots don't know the terror of that woman.' He thought as shivers run through his spine just thinking about the punishment they'll get if Carla found out their blunder.