Part One (POV - Elizabeth Blackheart)
Before delving into this tragedy that optimistic fools call life, it seems appropriate to introduce myself, since my education prevents me from starting any conversation without doing so. My name is Elizabeth Blackheart, better known as "The Glutton of Vampiria." I know it's a strange nickname, but it suits me well, since gluttony is my great sin.
Like a wolf's ferocious appetite or a pig's inability to control itself when eating, my insatiable desire for magic and knowledge dragged me toward damnation.
Have you ever felt that inexplicable need to break laws just because they are prohibited? That emotion of knowing that nothing and no one will prevent you from accessing something you want with all your soul?
Well, I know what it feels like! And it's fucking gratifying to be able to mock the God who dictated the natural laws of this world.
But just as I mocked God, He also mocked me, because he gave me a treasure: a being who carries my blood in his veins and who, at the same time, will always be far from me.
A being that, with just a look of his crimson eyes and a soft honey smile, made me realize what really matters in this life. And I'm not talking about mundane things like fame, money, or power; What really matters in this world is something that most people overlook: family.
Although in recent years I have lived a hellish life born of a depraved mind, feeling his little hand rubbing mine makes me not want to change the past.
But the future, your future, I do want to change it!
Part Two
"Capture her! Don't let her escape!" the guard ordered.
"Damn bitch. How dare you run away in that condition?" he murmured softly. It's only been a couple of days since this leech gave birth.
"Master Crowley will annihilate us if we don't find her!" another servant shouted.
The screams of the palace servants and guards echoed in my ears as I ran with a baby in my arms through the dark hallways of the Demon King's palace.
I know that both my life and that of my baby hang by a thread and that every second counts. I need to leave the palace and jump over the mana barrier that blocks any attempt at magic in the castle. But I only have one chance; I can't afford to waste time.
He has to survive! I don't want him to become a sadistic, detestable monster like his father!
I feel the cold marble under my bare feet as I run down a dark hallway. Before reaching the end, I see the shadow of a guard and immediately turn left, finding myself in a large hall. Once inside, I hide under a table covered by a thick tablecloth.
I hear the hurried footsteps of the guards. I stand still, holding my breath as they pass me. My heart is pounding, and I can feel the baby in my arms moving. With all this commotion, it's only natural that he wakes up.
I settle him down and rest his head on my chest to calm him down.
"Where the hell did he go?! This is bad, very bad!" a demon guard exclaimed, his voice shaking with panic. "Crowley will end my life; I shouldn't have let her out of my sight!"
"She won't get very far; she can't use her strange magic here," the other guard said, tightening his grip on his sword.
From the corner of my eye, through the edge of the thick tablecloth, I can see several glass windows. I can escape there; The problem is that we are on the third floor. I know I can do it, but I'm afraid I'll hurt the baby if I decide to jump.
Maybe you need to find another, safer way.
The guards pass the table again and the baby begins to squirm on my chest, letting out a small whimper, but no, he hasn't woken up yet.
When the demon guards decide to leave the hall, just before the demon guard's foot fully crosses the door threshold, they stop abruptly.
"What are you doing? Why did you stop?"
"I thought I heard something…" The demon guard frowned and leaned back slightly; his eyes scanned the hallway. "Keep looking, we have to make sure no one is here. We can't let them escape and take the boss's son."
"Do it quickly," the other guard responded.
There was no time left. These damned demonic guards insisted on continuing their search; Sooner or later they would find me. I can't let them catch me; I am terrified of what could happen to my baby.
It doesn't matter that I can't use my magic in this place. Normal vampires don't have magic. I will fight tooth and nail if necessary!
I'll kill them the old-fashioned way!
I gathered my courage, left my son hiding under the table and went out to fight for his future. And although I can't believe what I'm going to say: I will protect my son like a good mother!
I slipped into the shadows behind the guards, who were carefully searching the room. As I approached the first one, my arm instinctively, probably driven by the impulse to protect my son, made an unexpected movement, passing through his chest and making him fall with a thud on the marble floor, leaving a new pattern of blood behind, after impact.
"Here! She's here!" the other guard shouted desperately.
The guard menacingly drew his sword.
"Damn! What did you just do?" He asked, fury in his eyes.
He advanced aggressively towards me, his sword pointed at my head, preparing for a downward slash. As I ran towards him and when we were face to face, the guard executed his blow. I managed to stop him before he hit me with both hands and, with sheer brute force, I broke his arm. I then moved his body even closer and, when I had it within my reach, a bit into his carotid artery, ending his life in the process.
He's not the first, nor will he be the last piece of shit to try to bring me down. I no longer feel sorry for anyone who tries to hurt me.
Now that I have killed these demons, the guards will show no mercy, and neither will Crowley. If he catches me, he will punish me, like the last time a guard lost his life because of me.
He locked me in the playroom and tortured me for 20 years! There is no way back. No matter what damage he inflicts on me, I can heal quickly, but I don't want him to lay a finger on my baby.
If only my beloved would come to rescue me, but it's been 40 years since this damn demon kidnapped me and forced me to marry him.
If I could warn my father, he would come with an army of undead. But I can not.
If I go back home, my father would kill my baby since he doesn't have pure vampire blood.
It is a disgrace to House Blackheart.
In the history of Vampiria, there has never been a vampire with demon blood in their veins. I can't just run away and come back.
Vampiria is a forgotten continent anchored in time, where its inhabitants cling strongly to the customs of the eldest of the seven families. Even though I know my loved one is different, I'm sure they will accept it. But I can't trust the rest of the lineage. I'm sure my father will kill him. Very likely, and then he will send me to purgatory for besmirching the name of House Blackheart. And if for some strange reason they let him live, he would be discriminated against, branded an abomination.
My son and I are damned if we go to Vampiria, that's for sure. And if we stay, his father will punish me and turn my innocent son into a monster. And now that I have him in my arms, I'm not prepared for any of those things. My only wish is that he lives and has a quiet life, away from all the political circus of Vampiria and out of the clutches of his father, the psychopath. I just want him to be happy.
As the lifeless bodies of the demonic guards lay repulsive at my feet, a group of guards quickly approached.
There is no time! They know where I am!
I made a reckless decision.
Without wasting a second, I grabbed my baby and ran towards the glass windows. I jumped without evaluating the distance, without caring about breaking the glass with my body. I held my baby tightly to my chest; He wouldn't let any shards of glass cut him. I fell to my knees on the ground, with my other leg supported to protect my son from the impact. Once I felt the fresh grass under my feet, I ran frantically into the depths of the forest surrounding the palace. Before fully entering the forest, I looked back one last time to assess the situation and see how far away the guards were, but the only thing I could make out was the imposing palace where I had been imprisoned for so many years.
Part Three
I ran and ran until my legs were burning, and when I couldn't continue, I kept running. Just one wasted second was enough for us to be caught, so I couldn't stop, no matter how rough the terrain was or how many thorns covered it; nothing was going to stop me. My son deserves a future outside this prison; he deserves to have a normal life.
After running for a long time, I can't tell you exactly how long, relief washed over my heart. A barrier of a faint sky-blue color stood before me; I was at the borders of Demon King Crowley's lands in the southeast of the Infernia continent.
Upon passing through the mana barrier, I could feel my body returning to its former self; it felt strong, and my mana flowed through me once again. The obscene amount of mana that a magic-restricted vampire possesses almost drove me insane.
Elizabeth Blackheart, The Glutton of Vampiria, had returned! The only magical vampire that has ever existed and will ever exist in the world!
Vampires are born with a large amount of mana but cannot use magic. Their bodies are bound by a pact with the Blood God from the day of their birth. The Blood God blesses every vampire of the lineage with a vampire ability from any of the three arts: "Blood, Darkness, and Manipulation." Each vampire must embrace this ability and rely on it as their only weapon.
The ability I was born with is of the Blood type, "Imperium," an ability that only allows me to manipulate my blood. This ability was considered practically useless by my father and the elders of Vampiria since it was not practical in battle, lacking offensive and defensive attitudes. That's why, for the first years of my life, I was treated worse than garbage.
After decades of studying ancient magic, I discovered that the first wizards of the world had low amounts of mana, which led them to invent "magic circles." These circles transcribed spells onto strange scrolls that conducted energy. Over time, living beings were born with larger amounts of mana, leading them to completely forget about magic circles, as their creation was very complicated and the material of the scrolls, having magical conduction qualities, was very expensive due to increasingly limited resources.
That's when I discovered that, using my ability to manipulate my blood, I could create those magic circles. Since there is no material more mana-conductive than blood, the circles would never fail. Upon completing the circle, the magic would automatically activate, and I could cast the spell at my will. That's how I became the first Magic Vampire.
I do not want to dwell on this boring story, since the situation is not the most opportune, but over time, the thirst, and eagerness to learn new types of magic led me to break the taboo of the ancient magicians of history: 'You shall not steal the special magic of other races.'
In the history of the different continents of the world, various races had developed their own special magic, magic that they only taught to their descendants, since a specific type of magic was the military power of a nation, generally used for war purposes.
Thanks to my charismatic personality at the time and deception, I was able to access demon teleportation magic and dragon summoning magic. Simply put, I was ecstatic to master every magic that, by birth, I had been denied. As I acquired more types of magic, I was no longer just a simple vampire; I started calling myself Elizabeth 'The Glutton of Vampiria', although others called me 'The Thief of Magic' or the 'Cursed Princess', of the Blackheart house.
My downfall was stealing the demons' teleportation magic, as I became a victim of an endless chase.
My head has a very high price and wherever I go, I must be alert. I can not trust anyone.
I don't want to waste any more time in this place. I haven't used a bit of magic in 40 years, but as the elders say, 'what is learned well is never forgotten'.
I hold my baby tightly against my chest and with my other hand outstretched I begin to form, with my blood, a huge magical teleportation circle. Although I don't know exactly where to direct my spell, I ask my magic to take me to a place where my baby will be safe, where he can live in peace and find all the love he never received. The circle was completed and a light in the shape of a spectral door formed above it.
Without hesitation, I went through it.
Part 4 (POV - Nicolay Gladius Dei)
I am in the arms of a beautiful woman, with black hair and crimson eyes.
What's happening? Where am I, and why are they taking me?
The loneliness in his eyes is evident, as his hands hold my body firmly as he walks.
I look at the horizon and find a night sky full of stars and a majestic full moon. For some reason, small green lights similar to fireflies illuminate our path.
Despite my confusion, I can't look away from the beautiful woman's face.
Looking at her closely, her face appears young, perhaps no more than 20 years old. Her jet black hair falls in long strands, while her crimson eyes and delicate features only make me think that this woman must be a princess. Her fair skin and the delicate shape of her lips. I have never seen such a beautiful woman.
I try to speak, and what comes out of me is an indescribable babbling.
What's happening? Is this a dream?
I try to raise my hand and notice that it is small and delicate.
Is this a dream?
No I don't think so. It doesn't seem like a dream. Maybe it's a memory from when he was a baby?
I don't know!
I reach out and touch that beautiful face, smooth as porcelain, and I notice tears welling in the woman's eyes.
Why is he crying?
This doesn't seem to be one of my usual dreams. I feel like this is really happening. In my dreams I can't see in such detail, but now I can take in every detail, from the beautiful shape of this woman's lips to every delicate beauty of her eyelashes.
Suddenly, the woman stops a few meters from an old building.
But what? I recognize that place! It's my home! The Gladius Dei Orphanage!
My gaze meets hers and with a trembling voice she says:
"My little one, this is where you will be safe and cared for. I can't stay with you. I hope one day you can forgive me, but I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world."
(Gently kisses my forehead and caresses my face)
"I will carry you in my heart every day and pray that you find love and happiness here. I am sure that this world has something special in store for you. You will grow up to be a good man, living like anyone else. Without worrying about such things trivial things like lineage, money or power, look for the only thing that matters in this world: look for love."
(The woman hugs me against her chest and hugs me tightly.)
"My sweet little angel. May life grant you everything you deserve. I love you, I will always love you. Goodbye, my life, my love, my little Nicolay."
With a final kiss, warm and full of love, and a scroll in my small hands, she walks away heartbroken, leaving me alone at the entrance to the orphanage. A small green light, like a firefly, lands on my forehead and little by little everything becomes dark.
I finally woke up… it had all been a dream…