In the heart of S-Kingdom, a fifty-story skyscraper dominated the skyline. Its sleek glass exterior reflected the city's lights like a jewel in the night. At the top, a beautiful woman with porcelain skin and waist-length golden hair sat, radiating the aura of a modern goddess.
"Haa... Where is my fated squire?" Her angelic voice echoed like a song, carrying a hint of longing. The scent of fresh roses filled her spacious office, mixing with the faint aroma of aged leather from the furniture. "These upstarts keep showing off, always talking about their parents and family. So annoying."
She sighed, the weight of loneliness gnawing at her. She longed for someone who could understand her, someone who would see beyond her title and beauty.
Two slender fangs flashed as her blood-red tongue slid along them. "I feel hungry. Is it that time already?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the emptiness she felt inside.
She leaned back in her black executive chair, which squeaked as she rolled her shoulders. The view from her floor-to-ceiling windows showed the bustling city below, but it offered no solace. "Should I call for takeout?" She swiped the papers off her desk with a humph, except for one sheet that stuck to the desk.
"Hmmm? A strange resume." Her scarlet eyes shone with interest as she examined the modest background and the image attached.
"Nikolai Volkov? A familiar-sounding name…" She whispered, her thoughts drifting to memories of the Volkov family, once proud and noble, now fallen.
Her fingertips clicked relentlessly on the keyboard while she twirled her hair around her finger. The soft clacking of the keys was the only sound in the room, aside from the distant hum of city traffic.
"Oh? So it's really the same Volkov family that applied to serve me. Is he stupid? Though I've heard their family was one of the most powerful of their bloodline. He would make the most efficient squire." A pang of sadness hit her as she recalled the tragic downfall of once-great families.
A beautiful crescent-shaped smile formed on her lips. "The strongest Werewolf Knights serve the strongest Vampiric royalty? I must interview this man. He is very easy on the eyes, too." Her heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
Excited, she dialled a 12-digit number in a millisecond, not something a human could perform.
One ring later.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I have found my squire. Set up a fake interview with candidate 1069, Nikolai Volkov."
"V-Volkov, Your Highness, are you sure?" The maid's voice trembled with shock.
The princess's excitement turned to conviction. "That's an order, Wilhelmina!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" The princess slammed the phone and leapt to her feet, her divine beauty on display. She gazed down at the humans below, holding a glass of red fluid. The anticipation coursing through her veins was palpable.
"To think that I would find such a promising squire to protect and fight for me. The All Mother's grace has blessed this Selene Aria Tepes." She whispered to herself, feeling a sense of destiny unfolding.
"You will serve this princess well, Nikolai!"
Meanwhile, in a rundown apartment on the outskirts of SL City, the morning sun filtered through thin curtains, casting a warm glow on the modest furnishings. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint mustiness of old books and worn fabric.
A handsome male in a dirty grey shirt, slacks, and black hair stood on the small veranda, performing his morning exercise routine under the rising sunlight.
"One, Two, One, Two!" His deep voice echoed through the air like a charming devil.
"It seems he's at it again. That Volkov boy never stops working hard…" A middle-aged lady with brown hair whispered to the other ladies in a small group, all of them peeking towards the veranda where the male performed.
His face was chiselled and fair with a foreign yet familiar look.
"He seems to have got an interview at that Scarlet building. His voice was so loud last night, almost crying with joy."
"Ohoho, such a pleasant boy. If only mine would be so proactive after coming home! Still sits playing video games all day!"
A few minutes later, a tall girl with short, messy white hair and a long jacket with a woollen hood jogged past the old woman with fluffy silver hair like an alpine wolf. "Morning, Aunties!"
Her voice was bright and cheerful, with a husky undertone; she shifted her golden eyes and gazed at the male now performing vertical push-ups with one hand. The cool morning air carried the scent of dew and blooming flowers. "Showing off as always, Nikolai…"
"Oh, my, if it isn't Little Nikita!"
"Are you here to wake up, Nikolai? It seems you are late today."
The girl named Nikita showed a reluctant look, her eyes trailing off to the image of Nikolai, who switched arms, his body covered in sweat. She sniffed the air several times before turning back to the old ladies.
"Not today, I just wanted... to see him before tonight. Could you pass on my greeting, please? I have some family issues to attend to and only popped out to see him for a moment." Her voice wavered slightly, hinting at the underlying worries she carried.
Nikita then dashed off towards the opposite road, her figure vanishing before the aunts could react. The old ladies soon spoke of young love and dedication while moving topics to their husbands or lazy sons.
On the veranda, Nikolai Volkov ached with satisfaction. Now that he had finished his morning workout, he could focus on preparing for his interview later today. The sounds of the city waking up provided a comforting background noise.
"Nikolai!" A stern voice with a slight wheeze echoed from within the room behind him.
"Father?"
Without a moment's delay, Nikolai dashed into the house, much to the chagrin of the aunties enjoying the sight of a young man's muscular chest in the boring SL City morning.
In the modest living room, a blue sofa faced pictures of a beautiful woman with raven hair and crimson eyes. The faint scent of incense lingered in the air, a remnant of their morning prayers. On the sofa, a middle-aged man sat, his scarred body still soldierly despite the tube in his nose.
'Coronary heart disease'
The doctors said he wouldn't last a year without a donor, and the medical costs were crippling their household.
"Boy, don't just stand there and help me clean your mother's altar!"
Nikolai never complained, his father's gruff voice bringing only a sense of worry. "Yes, Father, let me take care of it. I have a job interview later today at a big company." His voice wavered with hope and determination.
Nikolai grasped the fresh cloth and polished his mother's urn, his resolve firming with every stroke. Once, his father mentioned her wish to have her ashes scattered across the beautiful sea to the west of S-Kingdom. He saw his father's wide smile, a rare moment of joy at the news of Nikolai's interview.
"Do your best, Nikolai. I know you can do it. But don't worry about this old man. I will manage somehow. Cough, Cough!"
"Father!?" Nikolai's heart clenched with fear, his father's struggle to remind him of their precarious situation.
A small glob of blood leaked onto the tissue when his father began coughing—Nikolai's hand tightened around the cloth, his determination doubling.
"I'm fine, you damn worrywart. I will never die and leave you alone, not until you bring me proof you can find a wife!" His father's gruff voice masked the underlying concern and love.
"Father..." Nikolai's voice softened, filled with unspoken promises.
"Nikolai, your father isn't useless just yet. I can still work."
This kind of exchange happened many times in this room. Nikolai worked harder each time, determined to stop his father from working himself into an early grave. His only remaining family, his hero.
The pair spent the next hour cleaning the living room and his mother's altar and urn. The pair of them were silent, though both held great respect and love for each other. This was how they dealt with pain and emotional feelings.
In solitude.
After making his father some healthy soup that the hospital instructed him to serve, Nikolai saw the time approaching his job interview.
"Sorry, Dad, I've got to go soon. Make sure you take your medicine and take it easy, okay?"
Nikolai straightened his suit while looking back at his father. His shaved sides and medium-length wild black hair combed back made him look both dangerous and dashing, like a member of a mafia or the secret service.
"Dad. I'm off! Please wish me luck!" His heart pounded with anticipation and fear of failure.
Nikolai rushed out the door in his most expensive suit. He had saved up for two years to buy it, a small hope for a better future.
"You foolish boy! I know you can do it. You're our son." Ivan grumbled, watching his son disappear into the morning light.
"Elizabeth, don't you think our boy has become rather handsome? Do you think he gets it from me or you?" His father spoke to the silent room, the beautiful image of the black-haired beauty smiling with a timeless and enchanting smile.
Ivan watched the wide back of his son vanish into the distance long after the door slammed. He took a deep breath, observing the silent room. His silver eyes shimmered with tears as he touched the machine, which fed oxygen into his lungs.
"Do you think I don't know the job you are looking for is dangerous? My dear son, your father is sorry."
He unplugged the machine, his chest wheezing for a moment before he stepped to the urn, which had a picture and the name Elizabeth Bathory written in beautiful writing.
Ivan touched his wife's urn, his voice a whisper. "Elizabeth, forgive me... Our son suffers because of my mistakes. I will do whatever it takes to protect him, even if it means breaking our oath."
With that, Ivan also left the small apartment on the outskirts of SL City. His old, narrow eyes filled with a determined gaze.
"I will tell him about our family, his birth. About you... about everything tonight."
His back was tall and straight, revealing his pride as Nikolai's father.
However, nobody even noticed his departure.