The huge oak door welcomed him. As lonely as always, he thought to himself.
A man dressed in all black opened the door for him,
"Welcome back, Master Alexander." The butler greeted.
Alexander walked on, not acknowledging the presence of someone he had to bother himself with.
The butler bowed, his shirt brown hair swayed.
As he raised himself, his dark red eyes stared at his young master's retreating figure. He followed his master, making sure to be at least ten feet behind his master, in case his service was needed.
His master suddenly stopped and so did he, ready to answered to his master's every order.
He heard his master groan.
Alexander held his chest, his heart thumping against his chest. His hand shot to his mouth, trying to stop the blood that gushed out of his mouth, but some escaped through the gaps of his hand, staining the white tiled floor.
The butler eyes widened in surprise looking at the black stains on the floor. He rashes to his kneeling master's side, trying to help.
The jacket and the white shirt beneath tore from the stress Alexander's grip on his chest placed them in.
His bare chest revealed eccentric patterns of black veins that scattered throughout the upper left of his body. The black veins stemmed from his chest, beneath were his heart was.
"Master Alexander?" the butler manage to utter after his initial shock.
"Don't get any closer!" Alexander warned.
"I said stay back!" Alexander let out a roar that stopped the butler dead in his tracks. The walls had trembled with Alex's voice and so had the butler's body.
He looked at his hands and finally noticed the claws that had appeared. His body had sensed danger and his vampire instinct had kicked in.
The sound of more black blood spluttering on the floor urged the butler to move his frozen limbs.
"Should I get a doctor?" The butler asked in confusion.
Alexander glared at the butler despite the pain he was feeling. What could a doctor do for him?
He pushed himself back up. Swaying, he slowly headed to the washroom.
The butler stared at the pool of blood and the floor. A slight smile broke on his face but it disappeared before anyone could notice it.
"You over there,"
"Yes,you" He said to the maid pointing at herself.
"Get this cleaned up immediately." The maid nodded to his command before she walked away.
The butler stared at the pool of blood for a few seconds before he walked away himself. Judging from the amount of blood the young master had lost, he would have to set dinner up quickly.
•••
Alexander stared at his reflection on the the mirror, a thin line of blood trailed from his mouth to his chin.
One completely black eye stared right back at him. His left eye had turned completely black whilst the other shone in a bright crimson light.
His darkened heart was acting up again. He was getting closer and closer to the edge every passing day.
Alexander opened the bottle he had taken from one fo the shelves and poured the bottles content into his hand.
The blood red capsules in his hand glittered with the same crimson light in Alexander's right eye. These were iron concentrates capsules.
He tossed the capsules into his mouth and swallowed them. Iron concentrates capsules, usually referred to as ICCs, were a good substitute for blood. Since human blood was the most preferable type of blood because of its reach iron content, ICCs came into existence.
They could lull a vampire's thirst for blood untill they got access to real blood.
Alexander's laboured breathing become lighter. He blinked and his left eye took the same crimson hue as the other, only have a few spec of black within. When he blinked again, his eyes returned to his normal black color.
Alexander walked out of washroom, having freshen up. He was hungry. The capsules were a good substitute for blood but being a half-vampire meant Alex didn't only really on blood. Like any other human, he needed to eat solid food. His diet was a little on the meaty side, but that was to be expected. He was partly vampire after all.
He glanced at the spotless floor that was previously stained with his blood and continued walking.
The maids scurried from his path and those who were unfortunate to cross paths with him, bowed their head low untill he passed.
This was the norm between him and the servants here. They seemed to fear him for reasons he was yet to know. He didn't mind though, this was how things were, even at his father castle.
The double doors of the dining room opened as he approached. His meal was already laid out for him at the head of the long table.
The butler stood behind his young master as he began to eat.
Like most times, he had had the cook prepare a more human meal for the young master. A simple meal of beefsteak with some greens and a glass of warm blood.
Far to simple, thought the butler. If word got out that this was what the crown Prince of Fang ate, the king of Fang would surely lose face.
Alexander couldn't care less. And so what if his father lost face? He didn't concern himself with the likes of animals like his father.
The knife in Alexander's right hand sliced the meat on the plate before he paused,
"Tell me something," Alexander whispered. The air in the empty room carried his voice far.
The butler didn't know why a chill went down his spine, or why the temperature of the room had dropped so much with just a simple words from the young master.
"Prince Alexander?" Came the shaky voice of the butler.
Outside, a maid was about to enter the room with a tray of dessert, but just when she was about to push the door open, a fright aura sent multiple shivers down her spine. She quickly left.
"Have you informed him already?"
"Who do you mean?" the butler faltered, taking a few steps to the side.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Alexander turned to face the butler, revealing a pair of bright red eyes.
The butler stumbled backwards. Alexander stood up ever so slowly, the fear in the butler's heart increasing with every contact Alexander's shoes had with the marble floor. Every echo the young master's step made sent shivers of fear through his body.
Before he realized, Alexander hand had wrapped itself around his butler's neck, choking him.
"I asked a question." Alexander said ever so calmly.
"If you aren't going to talk then I will have no other option than to make you speak." His red eyes glimmered in the darkness of the room.
The color of his iris spreaded across the white of his eyes
[Compulsion]
"Tell me what I want to know."
Alexander's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the butler's lip broke into a chuckle.
Noticing the young master's confusion, the butler laughed louder.
"That won't work on me! I am immune to does eyes "
Alex took a step back, it finally dawned on him.
"To think that bastard of a father would be so generous to give you those pills"
Alexander kicked the butler in the gut making him crouch in pain. Alexander passed his hands through his hair in frustration,
I have no other choice but to use that.
The butler sat on the floor, blood smeared on his chin. With his legs stretched out on the floor. He looked nothing of his usual composed self.
Alexander suddenly smiled. The butler looked frightened at the unexpected reaction.
Alex's heart was partly filled with darkness, a darkness meant to corrupt him. It has been with him for so long. With time even enemies could come to agree with each other's, that is why...
That is why Alexander had access to the abilities dark-vampires had except, he was still sane.
The black veins from earlier snaked from his heart into his left eye. The eye quickly filled black, absorbing all light a round it.
When Alexander stared at the butler, he felt the young master was looking right through. He had never felt as vulnerable as he did right now. Only the king could make him feel like this.
[Dark-vampire state: Dark Compulsion]
Black blood flowed out of Alexander's left eye like tears.
"Now tell me everything you know..."
•••
Alexander laid on his bed facing the ceiling. His head rested on his left hand
The butler knew so much that he didn't. To think his father already knew the existence of another half-vampire on compus, other than himself and Leo.
As frustrating as it was, he had to admit that his father was always one step ahead of him.
The king had planned it all, that half-vampire who thought no know one knew her secret was just playing right into his father's hands.
But Alexander was ready to give just yet. It was far from over. In fact, it was only the beginning.
His father wanted another weapon and Alexander wasn't going to make acquiring this half-vampire an easy task.
He would protect her, if it meant he could hinder his father's plans.
The same eccentric patterns crawled from his chest, beneath the shirt he wore.
A pair of eyes of different colors stared at the ceiling, one red while the other pitch black.
"I will protect you I'd it means I can stop him."
Alexander stretched his hand upwards,
"Tulip Williams." He murmured